The Homes for Horses Coalition, a resource and representative voice of the nation's horse rescue and sanctuary community, announced the appointment of Cindy Gendron as the program's new coordinator. The coalition was formed in 2007 by The Humane Society of the United States, the Animal Welfare Institute and the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) to serve as a recognized national network of experts in equine care and government policy affecting equines. In her new position Gendron, a horse owner who previously served as the volunteer programs director for Virginia Beach SPCA, will ensure the success of the Homes for Horses Coalition in helping rescue groups rehome the nation's at-risk horse population and ending horse slaughter and other forms of equine abuse. The coalition has more than 217 equine rescue/sanctuary member organizations. For more information on The Homes for Horses Coalition visit Homesforhorses.org.

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) has seen new hires, restructuring and promotions within its staff over the past several months. The Events, Show and Membership Departments have been combined into Association Services in hopes of a more unified department to better serve the membership. Within the NRHA staff, promotions went to Krissy Colbath, Bucky Harris, Jana Thomason and Michelle Wrigley. With NRHA's continuing expansion and changes, Mikaya Boge, Lindsey Forshee, Tiffany Gonzales, Kristen Liesman, Alex Losurdo, Rosaland Rathbun, Lindsey Stier and Megan Yarber joined as new staff at the international headquarters in Oklahoma City, Okla. since mid-2012. To read full release.

Membership Renewal Reminder

2013 membership begins on January 1, 2013.

To maintain eligibility for the 2013 Awards Contest, your 2013 dues must be paid by February 13, 2013.

To avoid a lapse in member benefits, such as the benefit of submitting press releases, your 2013 dues must be paid by March 1, 2013.

AHP members are invited to join the American Horse Publications group page on Facebook. A Group Page is different from a Fan Page on Facebook. If you are not part of the Group Page, search for the American Horse Publications Group. The Group Page is for "AHP Members Only," where we can share publishing ideas or tips and correspond with your AHP friends. The page is not for solicitations and advertising. It's for the AHP family.

Now that 2013 is underway, it's time to mark your calendar for June 20-22, 2013 for the AHP annual seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Barrie Reightler, Director of Publications at Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, has created another great logo to inspire us all to meet at the Peak.

Speaker line-up

Headlining the speaker list are Ryan Dohrn, Jonathan Dorn and Milt Toby. Ryan Dohrn is CEO of Brain Swell Media LLC and presents two days of learning. Friday's sessions include "Our Future with Tablets," "Revenue Generating Web Sites and Digital Products" and "Strategic Planning/4D Revenue Media Success Model." Ryan's Saturday's sessions feature a sales track that includes four sessions focused on motivating and teaching you and your sales staff. Jon Dorn is General Manager, AIM Outdoor Group and Editor-in-Chief, Backpacker, and he presents two sessions on Friday afternoon including "Walking the Editorial/Advertising Line" and "How to Serve Your Readership: One Voice, Multiple Media, Broadening the Brand." Attorney Milt Toby addresses copyright, libel and other legal issues for freelancers and publishers in two sessions on Saturday.

Hotel reservations

The Colorado Springs Marriott has set up a link to AHP group reservations. The group code has already been entered with the king/double standard room rate of $120. All rooms come with either a mountain or city view, but views cannot be guaranteed at this rate. Book your room reservation.

Registration costs

Seminar registration includes three meals on Friday and Saturday, Thursday's welcome reception, and all sessions.

If you are planning to explore Colorado Springs, AHP will offer several optional activities on Thursday. Details will be announced as soon as possible. If you plan to explore on your own, the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau is a great place to get started.

Milt Toby is the author of Dancer's Image: The Forgotten Story of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, winner of the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for the best book about Thoroughbred racing published in 2011 and an American Horse Publications award for the best equine book of the year. An attorney based in Kentucky, Milt serves as Chair of the Contracts & Conflicts Committee for the American Society of Journalists and Authors and he is a frequent speaker on legal topics affecting writers, photographers, and publishers. Milt will present two sessions on Saturday, June 22 at the AHP "Meet at the Peak" Seminar in Colorado Springs. "Staying Afloat in a Sea of Change" will address self-help tactics for freelancers who want to protect their rights in a volatile publishing environment, and "Media Law Update" will be a review of copyright, libel, and other legal issues affecting magazine publishers. Milt will also moderate a Book Publishing: Sharing Ideas session on Friday, June 21.

Nominations due for 2013 Equine Industry Vision Award

Nominations for the Equine Industry Vision Award are due February 6, 2013. This award, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health and presented by AHP, is the first of its kind to showcase innovation across the entire equine market, as well as ingenuity and service.

Anyone is eligible to be nominated, re-nominated, or to nominate a candidate for the award. Nominees may include individuals and/or organizations. Candidates may be considered for a single outstanding visionary achievement or for sustained outstanding contributions that have made a profound impact on the equine industry.

The 2013 Equine Industry Vision Award will be announced during a breakfast ceremony sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health on June 21, 2013, during the AHP Meet at the Peak Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Adequan® has been named the title sponsor for the Human-Animal Bond Award which is part of the AHP Annual Awards Contest. This Special Award is presented to the sole author of a single editorial article that best reflects and promotes the strengthening of the human-animal bond, highlighting the relationship between horses and people.

Entries will be judged for exceptional quality and on the ability to convey this concept and connect with the reader. Qualified entries include written articles published in AHP member print publications or online digital media dated 2012. The Adequan® Human-Animal Bond Award Winner is the author of the article, who will receive a special engraved trophy provided and presented by Adequan® at the AHP Awards Presentations to be held on June 22, 2013 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The AHP print publication or digital media member in which the article was published will receive an engraved plaque presented by AHP. There will be only one winner.

The deadline date for entries is on or before Wednesday, February 13, 2013.

Publishing news you can use

Your how to (gracefully) handle ad sales cancellations

By Carl Landau | January 21, 2013 | Niche Media

One of the taboo subjects ad sales people don't want to talk about is how to handle rejection or when an existing advertiser or sponsor cancels some business with you.

We recently had a vendor that we didn't renew an agreement with once their year-long contract was over. We liked them but decided to take it in-house. The sales person didn't handle it well and the transition to not using their services went anything but smoothly. I went from a fairly happy customer to a pissed off ex-customer.

As an ad sales person, don't ever let this happen to you! If you think about your current advertisers and sponsors, probably at some point the majority of them had to cancel or change their schedule. How you handle this is incredibly important for the long term relationship you want to establish with your clients.

Carl's 5 Tips for Overcoming Rejection on Canceled Ad Sales Programs:

You need to push them a little to find out what the real reason is for canceling. The real reason may not be what they originally say.

Don't be a pushover. If there is a contract, then remind them of the terms and how much money they will lose (or the special issue or extra distribution they'll be missing).

Re-selling the ad program. We all hate it, but it seems like half the time we're reselling advertising we already sold. Just reminding them why they went into the magazine, website, or event they had signed up for.

Point out that you can just delay the program for 2 months until they resolve whatever is the problem. (Money, delay in product development, change in management, or whatever.)

If there is no turning back and they have to cancel, be just as nice as you were when they originally signed up. I hate seeing ad sales people that start out all super nice and sweet, but as soon as something goes a little south they turn into mean SOBs about it all. You need to be in it for the long run: work and plan for when they're going to come back, and do it in a positive and upbeat way.

Niche Magazine Conference will be held on February 11-13, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona. Niche Digital Conference will be held on September 30-October 2, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee.

So you want to start a magazine?

By Samir Husni, Mr. Magazine | January 16, 2013

Believe it or not, even in a digital age, starting a magazine was, is and will continue to be a dream come true to many people of all ages. It is the first of three Fs that I believe every magazine person enjoys: Fun. A lot of fun. And, by the way if you want to know the other two Fs, here we go: Fame and Fortune.

Are you looking to get started with social media marketing? Do you want to reexamine how you've been using social networks? In this post, Debbie Hemley covers 26 tips, an A-Z guide, to help you understand the backbone of successful social media strategies.

Ilias Chelidonis, Founder of TheWebCitizen.com, reminds us, "In the case of social media, it is one piece of content at a time."

17: Quick on Your Feet

A negative comment can set off a chain reaction, so you need to be quick on your feet to diffuse things before they get any worse.

18: Round Robin Your Team's Thoughts

Confer with members of your team about company messages on social media and see what insights you gain.

19: Start Somewhere and Start Small

Whether it's one of the "big four" or YouTube, Pinterest, Yelp or one of the other many sites, choose what's most relevant for your business.

20: Time Allocation

How much time is your business spending on social media? What are the most time-consuming steps?

21: Update Overload Can Be a Problem

Communicate and educate. Don't inundate.

22: Voice Lessons

Does your business sound like someone people will want to talk to? Another way of looking at it-would you want to talk to you?

23: Ways to Capture Different Kinds of Visitors

Hook your visitors.

24: (E)xplore the Social Media Ecosystem

Danielle Brigida, Sr. Manager of Social Strategy and Integration at National Wildlife Federation, compares the exploration of social media to finding your niche in the natural world-hiking a new trail, observing a stream or other surroundings.

25: Yield Deeper Customer Relationships Via Social Networks

Are you deepening your customer relationships with social media? What do you need to do differently to make it happen?

26: Zero Cost of Entry, but Is Social Media Really Free?

What resonates for you? If your business is getting started or refreshing your social media marketing efforts, what aspects do you need to focus on more intently?

About the Author, Debbie Hemley

Debbie Hemley is a social media consultant and blogger. She helps businesses develop and maintain social media content strategies with a unique combination of web marketing and content creation.

AHP Member referral program

Refer an equine-related business, media, or colleague to become a new AHP Member and you'll save money on your 2013 Colorado Springs seminar registration.

The greatest source of new AHP members is through referrals and we want to thank those members who spread the word about joining AHP. Between November 1, 2012 and June 14, 2013, whenever you refer an equine-related business, media, or colleague to become a new AHP member, you will earn a $10 credit for every new member who mentions your name on their application. Members can earn up to ten $10 credits or maximum of $100 toward their registration fee for the AHP Meet at the Peak Seminar in Colorado Springs on June 20-22, 2013.

Here are the guidelines:

Credits are non-transferrable and issued to current AHP members only

AHP member or staff must attend the 2013 Seminar to redeem credits for registration

Referrals must be new 2013 members only

$10 is available to current AHP members only; non-members must join for 2013 to receive credit

AHP member's name must be listed on new member application in the "referred by" space to receive $10 credit

Notification of credit for referral will be sent via e-mail once the new member has paid in full and AHP will maintain a record of credits issued.

Maximum ten $10 credits issued during the effective period from 11/1/12 to 6/14/13.

Credits are good for 2013 seminar registration only.

Credits are issued to one member only and cannot be split among members.

Submissions for AHP For the record may be sent to editor Chris Brune at ahorsepubs@aol.com